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2012 5-Week Professional Course

We are proud to announce for a second year in a row that 100% of the Honor Graduates have been placed from PBUC and all of our reserve list students were called for placement.

We're also proud to announce that we continue to offer the most economical professional umpire school (compared to the other schools training and hotel packages) in Florida based on information supplied by the Florida Commission for Independent Education.

Spring Training Home of the Houston Astros

The Academy's Five-Week Course
Only $2,950 for tuition and housing!

The Academy is proud of its training program and the Osceola County training facilities. This word and picture overview provides only a glimpse of the quality of both, but it's a quality that you can depend on throughout your training experience.

The Academy of Professional Umpiring conducts the 5-week course at the Osceola County Stadium and Sports Complex, located in Kissimmee, Florida. Students use the same classroom, fields, and facilities as the Houston Astros during their spring training.

Prior experience is not required to attend this training program, and the Academy provides all necessary protective equipment for those who do not have their own. Students will have the opportunity to purchase their own equipment, enjoying discounts arranged by the Academy with various suppliers.

Each subject is introduced and thoroughly explained in the classroom, demonstrated on the field, reinforced with special drills, and then applied under game conditions.

Training

It Starts With The Orientation Meeting...

...And Continues On The Field And In The Classroom For Five Consecutive Weeks.

All cage work is individually supervised by an instructor. Students work on 15 plate criteria which Jim has defined as essential to becoming the complete plate umpire. Your cage work is videotaped and students are given the tapes at the end of each session to review in the evenings at the video review room set up at the hotel.

2012 5-Week Professional Course

Osceola County Stadium and Sports Complex
A First Class Major League Facility

Entrance to the new, modern classroom, offices and dining facility.

The classroom is behind the glass panels on the left.

Classroom training begins promptly at 8 am with roll call, announcements, and homework review. This is followed by team competition drills designed to teach teamwork, rapid response, partner support and the ability to think on your feet. Afterward, Jim Evans will conduct his rules/procedures lecture, followed by the mechanics/ responsibilities lecture. On designated mornings, tests will be given on material presented in previous classroom sessions. Occasionally, an evening classroom session is conducted to stay current with training objectives.

2012 5-Week Professional Course

Cage Work

Developing Plate Mechanics and Stike Zone

Working the plate and calling balls and strikes has been described as the most challenging job in sports officiating. At the Academy, you are going to be taught the skills and techniques needed to excel as a plate umpire.

Training Facility

Our five training cages are located in the 10,000 square foot, synthetic turf, fieldhouse adjacent the Academy classroom. Each netted cage is equipped with a Major League pitching machine, video camera, and matrix. Your cagework is videotaped each day and you have an opportunity to review your dayâ€™s work back at the hotel in our video review room.

In the early stages of your training, your field work begins around 10:45 each morning. Later in the course as you develop a solid foundation, field work will begin earlier. More emphasis will be placed on advanced drills and developing the finer points of umpiring.

Phase 1
During the early stages of training, you will be taught the proper use of your equipment, basic positioning, signaling, voice control, and tracking skills.

Phase 2
After mastering the basics, you will be taught how to make adjustments to non-routine situations, handle half-swings, enforce rules involving the batter, and deal with conflict.

Phase 3
During your last few days of training, you will be evaluated based on your positioning, timing, judgment, consistency, mechanics, voice, and your ability to enforce rules and handle conflict.

After the lunch break, students are divided into groups and assigned to one of four fields for training. Field training encompasses exercises and drills that reinforce previous instruction covered in the classroom. Students are called from the fields by "Cage Group" to report to the batting cages to practice plate mechanics.

Self Check Before Beginning Cage Work

Practice Makes Perfect

Indoor Cages Are Not Affected By Weather

Every Pitch Is Evaluated And Video Taped

Tapes Are Returned For Viewing In The Academy's Video Room At The Hotel

After Cage Work, Cage Groups Remove Equipment and Return To Field Training

Your training starts with the basic fundamentals. Throughout the course, the finer points of platework will be introduced and you will have an opportunity to practice your new skills daily in the batting cages. Repetition and hands-on instruction are the trademarks of Academy training. You are guaranteed at least twenty trips to the cages where your instructor works tirelessly to help you maximize your potential. Your video with the instructorâ€™s comments and recommendations is available to review each evening and will make a great keepsake of your Academy experience.

2012 5-Week Professional Course

The Fields and Cages Are Located Immediately Outside The Classroom. Close Proximity Avoids Weather Delays.

After Camp Game Drills, Students Receive One-On-One Critiques of Their Performance.

Daily Training Schedules Are Checked To Insure All Training Criteria Are Covered

In the early stages of your training, your field work begins around 10:45 each morning. Later in the course as you develop a solid foundation, field work will begin earlier. More emphasis will be placed on advanced drills and developing the finer points of umpiring.

After the lunch break, students are divided into groups and assigned to one of four fields for training. Field training encompasses exercises and drills that reinforce previous instruction covered in the classroom. Students are called from the fields by "Cage Group" to report to the batting cages to practice plate mechanics.

At the conclusion of each day's field training, Jim calls the students together on one field. As a class, day-ending drills and exercises are conducted. They are followed by a final review of the day's training and homework assignments. Students are then dismissed and return to the hotel.

2012 5-Week Professional Course

Twelve TV/VCR Combos Are Setup At The Hotel For Daily Review Of Cage Work

Dick Nelson Helps Students Improve Their Plate Mechanics.

The Academy Video Rooms Are Open Each Evening At The Hotel. An Instructor Is Present To Answer Questions And Provide Assistance.

Students work on 15 plate criteria which Jim has defined as essential to becoming the complete plate umpire. Cage work is videotaped and students are given the tapes at the end of each session to review later in the video review room at the hotel. These tapes are retained by students after completion of the course. You leave the Academy with hours of videotaped instruction which you can refer to long after graduation.

2012 5-Week Professional Course

Since the class of 2000, over 180 Academy Honor Graduates have advanced to the PBUC Professional Evaluation Course. A vast majority of those candidates have landed jobs in professional baseball. We are proud to announce that 100% of our Honor Graduates received jobs in Minor League Baseball last year.

Class of 2011

About the 2012 Academy...
Only $2,950 for tuition and housing at the Clarion Resort and Waterpark!

Please make your travel plans from January 3 - February 4th (after 3pm if possible)

Classes

Start: Introductions and Class Orientation - 6 pm, January 3, 2012

End: 2 pm, February 4, 2012 (Hotel Check-Out February 4.)

*Graduation banquet is the night of February 3rd. Final Evaluations are held February 4th, with a special meeting for Honor Graduates during the afternoon. Please make your travel plans to accommodate these times.

NOTE: Students earning the designation of Honor Graduate must report to the administrative office for a brief meeting and completion of PBUC forms prior to departing the Academy. The meeting will be held immediately following completion of final evaluations (around 11 a.m.). Failure to report for this meeting may result in loss of eligibility to attend the annual PBUC Evaluation Course.

Academy Enrollment Requirements

Age:

18 and older

Proir Experience:

None required. Everyone receives the exact same training regardless of experience or goals.

Physical Condition:

Students must have the physical ability to participate in a training program that requires frequent voice projection, stretching, bending, squatting, jogging, sprinting, and standing for periods of three hours or more and participate in a daily conditioning program of medium-impact aerobics designed to exercise and strengthen muscle groups most utilized by umpires.

Statement of Health:

Prospective students will be required to disclose any health issues that need to be understood by the staff for the student's personal treatment and safety.

Professional Baseball Umpire Corp. (PBUC) Requirements:

(The following are PBUC requirements for attending the professional evaluation course. These are not requirements to attend the Academy.)

Receive designation of Honor Graduate from the Academy.

Vision correctible to 20/20. Glasses are permissible but contacts are highly recommended.

Reasonable body weight for height.

Strong interpersonal skills.

Good communication skills.

Quick reflexes and good coordination.

Some athletic ability.

G.E.D. or High School diploma.

Completed PBUC forms provided by the Academy office.

Applicants With Disabilities:

Applicants with disabilities as defined in the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) must contact the Academy office to determine if special accommodations can be provided for participation and completion of the training program.

Enrollment Contract:

Applicants must submit a signed enrollment contract with a $150 deposit. Deposits are non-refundable once the enrollment is approved. Click Here to enroll in the 2011 Academy Class.

Location

The Academy training is conducted at the Osceola County Stadium and Sports Complex, spring training home of the Houston Astros located in Kissimmee, Florida.

In 2003 an $18,400,000 renovation of the fields, stadium and classroom was completed. The 5 fields, 5 batting cages, classroom and dining area are one of the most modern and complete baseball training facilities in the United States.

Kissimmee is immediately south and adjacent to Orlando, Florida, 15 miles south of the Orlando International Airport. The training complex is 12 miles from the famous Walt Disney World, Epcot, MGM, Animal Kingdom entertainment complex and 15 miles from Universal Studios and Sea World.

The Kissimmee - St. Cloud area has an excellent, informative web site that can be accessed by clicking their link above. Area and state maps are included along with a complete listing of the area attractions.

Students and staff will be housed at the newly renovated Clarion Resort and Waterpark, 2261 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, (highway 192). The Clarion Resort and Waterpark is located west of the Florida Turnpike South exit #244, North exit #242 on Hwy 192, less than a five minute drive from the training facility. Click here to check the Clarion Resort and Waterpark's website. Every room is equipped with Serta mattresses, a 27 inch Television, digital cable with HBO, iron and ironing board, hairdryer, full length mirror, large in-room safe, speaker telephone with voice mail, data jack, high-speed wireless Internet connectivity, a spacious desk with pull out table on wheels and an ergonomic desk chair, as well as a kitchenette with mini refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave.

Class Schedule

Classes are held Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 5:30 pm. Evening sessions are scheduled as needed to meet training objectives. Sundays are scheduled off days.

CurriculumProfessional Baseball Umpiring consists of 270 clock hours of supervised classroom and field training. Fourteen written exams are administered covering Official Baseball Rules and National Association Interpretations. Other written testing is administered covering mechanics, positioning and umpiring philosophies. Each subject is thoroughly explained in the classroom, demonstrated on the field, reinforced with special drills, and then implemented under game conditions.

Field Training: 140 hours consisting of plate work and base positioning, mechanics and signaling, developing a strike zone, handling special problems and physical conditioning.

Critiques and Final Evaluations: 5 hours.

Outside Study: In addition to the 270 hours of supervised classroom and field training, most students spend 50-60 hours during the 5 weeks completing homework assignments and outside projects. Most of these activities are conducted in a small group environment that fosters teamwork.

Cost (Tuition, Training Package, Room Accommodations and Meal plans)
The total cost depends upon choice of room and meals. CLICK HERE to see all options with prices.
(Commuter students pay Tuition and Training Package Fee only.)

Tuition: $1,900 (Includes Catered Lunch Each Training Day)

Classroom and Field Instruction

Classroom Testing and Field Evaluation

Videotaping of Cagework

Access to Video Review Facility at Hotel

Class Photograph

Graduation Banquet

Graduation Certificate

Airport Transportation Upon Arrival and Departure

Daily Transportation To Training Facility

Use of Academy Protective Equipment (For those students who do not bring their own)

Rooms:

Shared: $700

Private: $1,400

Note: Registration and in-processing are conducted in the Academy office at the Clarion Resort and Waterpark. Rooms are assigned and keys issued by the administrative staff during registration. Check-in is January 3rd and check-out is February 4th. Please contact the Academy office should you need a room prior to class starting or after the conclusion. Additional room nights are $50 per night and must be reserved by the Academy in order to receive this special rate.

Lunch: Provided at no additional cost (Catered training days in classroom)

Dinner: $425 (Monday-Saturday catered at the hotel)

***Breakfast and Dinner Combo: $600 (Save $50)

Note: All meals are catered by the SMG Company, the same company used by the Houston Astros to feed their players during Spring Training.

Prices are all inclusive. Students' only additional needs while at the Academy are personal spending money and about $30 for laundry. This is around $100 a day for 35 days, including hotel room, all meals, training, training materials and school related transportation to include airport pick-up and return.

Enrollment Deposit: A $150 non-refundable deposit is required to enroll. (Deducted from total cost). Installment payments are accepted but not required. The total of any remaining balance must be paid at or before registration. Rooms will not be assigned or training allowed to commence until all fees are paid in full.

Enrollment

You may enroll online by clicking here. If you are experiencing difficulties enrolling online, please contact the Academy office (303) 290-7411.

Enrollment Deadline:
Online enrollment must be completed no later than December 1 to guarantee a position in the class. All enrollments received after December 1 will be reviewed and subject to availability.

To expedite enrollments after December 1, it is recommended that you call the Academy Office and enroll by phone using a valid credit card. Information provided will be copied to an enrollment form by the Academy staff. Office hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, Monday thru Friday. (303) 290-7411

Payment

MasterCard, Visa, Discover Card, PayPal, Personal, Cashier's, Traveler's Checks, and Money Orders are accepted. All payments in US dollars only. A 2.5% surcharge will apply to all credit card charges.